Charges Against Rachel Dolezal’s Brother, Source of Feud With Parents, Are Dropped

The national Rachel Dolezal saga began in June in part because her parents told reporters they disapproved of her claims to be black, a choice that began to make more sense when other accounts revealed that Rachel Dolezal and her parents were estranged in part because she allegedly encouraged accusations that her brother Joshua had sexually abused another sibling. (The Dolezal parents, Ruthanne and Lawrence, deny that the accusations against Joshua are related to their public comments about Rachel.) At the time that Rachel Dolezal's case became national news, criminal abuse charges were pending against her brother in Colorado—but those charges were dropped on Monday, multiple outlets report. From the Denver Post:

"I can confirm that the case is dismissed," said Thomas Kelly, spokesman for the 5th Judicial District attorney's office.

Kelly declined to say why four counts of child sex assault by one in a position of trust against Joshua Dolezal were dropped. ... Joshua Dolezal was accused of assaulting a child who was about 6 years old in 2000 or 2001 in Clear Creek County, where the Dolezals lived at the time, according to an arrest affidavit.

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Reports from earlier this year suggested that the Dolezals believe Rachel encouraged false accusations against her brother because he did not want her to adopt Izaiah Dolezal, who was first adopted by Ruthanne and Lawrence and then subsequently by Rachel.